VMware has announced that its VMware NSX SD-WAN by VeloCloud will be integrated with Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN. This will enable Microsoft to offer customers a range of flexible deployment options, including topology designs that require minimal changes to existing networks.

This new offering is built around Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN), a transformational approach to simplifying branch office networking and assuring optimal application performance. The VeloCloud technology allows users to support application growth, network agility and simplified branch implementations, while delivering access to cloud data centres and applications.

The collaboration will combine the Azure Virtual WAN, which spans more than 130 edge sites worldwide or points of presence (PoPs), with the optimisation and ease of deployment provided by cloud-delivered NSX SD-WAN.

Microsoft customers will benefit from simplified network design and reduced complex custom configurations at individual branch locations. In addition, NSX SD-WAN will enable enterprises to support application growth more securely, whilst also automating business policy and control for applications.

Sanjay Uppal, vice president and general manager of the VeloCloud Business Unit at VMware, explained that the solution will enable IT organisations to “… automate connectivity into Microsoft cloud environments as new branches get added through NSX SD-WAN, without having to go through manual complex routing. This will fundamentally change the economics and operating model for building global, highly available and distributed networks.”

Meanwhile, the leading analyst firm IDC has ranked VMware at number one in terms of market share for both the worldwide cloud systems management and the IT automation and configuration management software markets.

According to IDC, VMware’s share of the worldwide cloud systems management software market grew to 21.7% in 2017, a full 7% ahead of its nearest rival. The report particularly noted VMware’s strengths in offering customers a unified approach to cloud management monitoring, analytics and automation.

In the IT automation and configuration management software market, VMware leads the field with an 18.6% share. IDC is particularly complimentary about the way in which VMware takes a strategic focus on its management portfolio “….spreading R&D investments across core management suites such as vRealize Suite that enable a lower TCO for its products across the data centre, desktop, networking, security, telecoms and storage.”